Understand health and safety in social care settings Essay Example for Free

Understand health and safety in social care settings Essay There are many accidents and sudden illnesses that may occur within a social care setting. Some of the most common ones are: †¢Slips, trips and falls †¢Burns and scalds †¢Sprains and strains †¢Choking and breathing difficulties †¢Diarrhoea and sickness †¢Cardiac arrest †¢Loss of consciousness These accidents and sudden illnesses happen to either the carers, service users or visitors. Sprain and strains usually happen to a carer when they are moving and handling. This could be due to poor training. Slips, trips and falls are common within care settings mainly due to poor mobility of the individual or poor eyesight may contribute. Burns and scalds can happen to the service user and the carers either when preparing food and drink or serving and consuming them. Choking and breathing difficulties often occur when the individual has trouble chewing and swallowing food. Loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest can be attributed to old age and illness. Diarrhoea and sickness can spread quite easily in a social care setting as there is a lot of close contact between carers and the individuals they care for. You should always follow your company’s policies and procedures when an accident or sudden illness occurs. Tis may be providing first aid, only if trained. If the accident or illness is of a more serious nature then it may be necessary to seek the advice of a medical professional either by calling an ambulance or requesting to see a GP. In the event of an accident it is important that an accident report form is completed and details are also recorded on the individual’s personal file. It is of the utmost importance that he individual involved in the accident or illness and others around them are protected from future incidents. In the case of an accident it may be necessary to assess the hazards and risks and preventative measures to be put in place to minimise the chances of the accident re-occurring. It is very important that first aid tasks are carried out by qualified first aiders. This is to prevent further damage occurring to the injured individual. Even if they feel it is in the best interests of the injured individual someone without proper first aid training can make an injury worse by providing incorrect treatment. This may be by giving chest compressions wrong, the chance of survival will probably be minimal if chest compressions are not given correctly and medical assistance does not arrive quickly but serious injuries can occur by giving the compressions in the wrong place and too hard. Removing foreign bodies can cause a lot of extra damage to the individual as it may have gone in cleanly whereas moving it may cause extra bleeding and more damage to the tissue. If you fail to follow emergency first aid procedures they can be several consequences. As a first aider one of the first things that needs to be assessed is, is the area safe for others to approach. By not carrying out this first important step can mean that others may get injured. It can make a difference to an individual whether they receive first aid treatment or not. If the individual does not receive essential first aid then they may experience further complications or their injuries or illness may worsen. The result of not receiving first aid may even be death. Within the workplace if a designated first aider refuses to provide first aid, unless it is unsafe to do so, they may come under disciplinary or even legal action for negligence.